The Art of the Follow Up

Exchanging business cards or contact information with someone you’ve just met is only the start of the relationship. To truly give—and get—value from a business connection, you’ll need to follow up. OPEN Forum shares a handful of tactics so you can master your “second impression:”

5. Keep them top of mind too. Subscribe to Google alerts or their newsletters and congratulate them on their successes, new ventures or even their recent quote in the paper. This is a great way to show genuine interest, demonstrate you’re in the know, and engage with them and their business.

6.Set reminders. Set your calendar up to remind you to contact your professional connections. I recommend a monthly reminder for contacts that are highly beneficial, 45 days for slightly beneficial and 60 days for everyone else. This will keep you on the right track to continue building your relationships.